When an executive at Goldman Sachs resigned yesterday, he did so in a public and high-profile way that most poor working schlubs could only dream of. Greg Smith wrote a much-shared op-ed in The New York Times explaining his decision and--within the first paragraph, no less--described a corporate culture that is "as toxic and destructive as I have ever seen it." He further shared his displeasure with many of the staff at the top-tier investment bank, revealing that in the past year he's seen five different managing directors refer to their own clients as "muppets." After almost 12 years with the company, he writes that he "can no longer in good conscience say that I identify what it stands for." As a final twist of the knife, he specifically blames CEO Lloyd Blankfein and president Gary Cohn, who he says "lost hold of the firm's culture on their watch." Ouch.
Many on Twitter are calling Smith a hero, applauding him for doing the right thing. The article currently sits at the top of the "Most E-mailed," "Most Viewed," and "Most Blogged" lists on NYTimes.com. Perhaps The Wall Street Journal has the most fitting title, referring to the resignation letter as "the fantasy job exit." Fantasy indeed.
To read the full, original article click on this link: How To Quit Your Job Gracefully (If You're Not Greg Smith) | Fast Company
